


Bone to Flint

by wulcanbiology



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Professors, And Snape needs another drink, Angst, But not a wild one, Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Harry Potter, Developing Relationship, Dueler Harry, Eventual Smut, First Time, Fluff, Harry runs away from all confrontation, Love Confessions, M/M, McGonagall makes bets with the staff, Neville and Luna share drinks, No Boy-Who-Lived (Harry Potter), Professor Harry Potter, Professor Tom Riddle, Tom submits to the mortifying ordeal of being known
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:02:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28494297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wulcanbiology/pseuds/wulcanbiology
Summary: Harry didn’t register Riddle got so close until the man’s wand touched his chin, tilting Harry’s head up to meet his eyes. His next words stunned him to his core.“Harry James Potter,” he purred— and Harry let out a gasp at hearing his name come from those lips, “The day you defeat me, truly defeat me, in a duel, is the day I will consider what you have to offer.”After seven long years, Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Comments: 7
Kudos: 74





	Bone to Flint

**Author's Note:**

> >   
> _"It is defeat that turns bone to flint; it is defeat that turns gristle to muscle; it is defeat that makes a man invincible." - Henry Ward Beecher_

Returning to Hogwarts was the single best of Harry Potter’s adult life. Stepping back onto the grounds felt like coming home again. The familiar magic of the castle and her grounds embraced him, and for the first time in years, Harry was at peace. The constant ache of guilt and longing that had filled his chest for so many years had disappeared and been replaced with the same child-like wonder and comfort of knowing he was exactly where he belonged.

Professor McGonagall was the first to greet him at the gates. Her usually stern expression had gone soft and affectionate as soon as she saw him, and she greeted him with a firm handshake and a small smile.

“Good to have you back, Mister Potter,” she said in her usually brisk fashion, and Harry couldn’t help but grin. Some things never changed.

Before he could reply, a familiar, silky voice spoke from behind McGonagall, “I believe it is Professor Potter not Mister Potter now, Minerva, wouldn’t you agree?” Harry’s heart skipped a beat as he watched Tom Riddle step forward.

The man was just as gorgeous as Harry had remembered with his perfectly quaffed hair, long stylish robes, and signature devilish smile. Harry stood speechless as Riddle moved forward to take Harry’s hand in his— because when he met the man’s piercing gray eyes, he was a goner.

Years of suppressed feelings bombarded Harry all at once as Riddle shook his hand and leaned forward to whisper, “It’s a _pleasure_ to see you again.” A shiver went down Harry’s spine as he tried to stammer out a response, distracted by the warmth of Riddle’s hand caressing his own.

“Pro-Professor Riddle,” Harry murmured before Riddle stepped back to stand beside McGonagall. Harry’s hand still tingled from the caress of those words.

“No need for such formalities now, Harry,” Riddle replied smoothly. “If we are to work together, I insist you call me Tom. After all, you’re no longer my student, now are you, _Harry_?” Hearing his first name in that sultry voice was nearly too much. Harry blinked before nodding thickly.

“I suppose,” he said weakly, wanting to die on the spot. Riddle- _Tom_ was still staring at him intently, and it was making his knees weak. Harry had forgotten the intensity of this man’s gaze, about how he craved for those eyes to focus on him and him alone.

He couldn’t do this. It was too much. All of this was too much. He nearly wept in relief when McGonagall broke the brief silence.

“Quite right, Tom. I expect you to refer to me as Minerva- no objections,” she replied when Harry had opened his mouth in protest. “If you are to be a formal member of this staff, you must act as such, Harry.” Her voice softened as she used his first name for what was perhaps the first time in all the years Harry had known her. It didn’t have the same drastic affect Tom’s had on him, but it still felt odd to hear.

He nodded again, but his former professor continued to stare at him until he mustered out, “Alright, Minerva.” She nodded, satisfied.

“Good, Now, I believe a tour is in order. There have been a few changes to the grounds since your last visit, and I can hardly have you teach before I introduce you to our newest staff members.”

Harry could hardly remember anything after that, McGonagall— Minerva’s tour going completely over his head as Riddle trailed next to them, his eyes trained intensely on Harry. He didn’t speak much as they made their way through the castle, but Harry could feel the weight of his gaze the entire time, and it made his stomach twist— filled with anxiety and guilt alike.

He vaguely registered being introduced to the staff, the familiar smiles of his old professors mixed in with Neville and Luna’s grins— both having joined the staff a few years prior. Only Snape looked at Harry with the same distaste as he remembered— although even Snape’s ire was a familiar comfort in the wake of Harry’s near meltdown.

Sheer determination got him through the afternoon, and it was only when Harry was finally alone in his new quarter that evening, curled up in a squashy armchair with a cup of tea, that everything crashed over him. 

Everything had started back in Harry’s school days with a silly crush. Harry’s friends had teased him about it mercilessly since the moment Tom Riddle had joined the staff midway through their fifth year. After Professor Dumbledore’s untimely death, Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor house and Deputy Headmistress, rose to the position of Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, leaving the Transfiguration post wide open. Enter Tom Riddle, former Headboy and top NEWT student for only six year prior, returning to the school. And thus Harry’s dilemma began.

Professor Riddle was a brilliant teacher. He was strict and efficient but charming beyond belief— and, in Harry’s opinion, far too sexy for his own good. Since his first day on the job, the student body had become obsessed, Harry included. A fan club for the man popped up overnight whose sole desire was to get the mysterious Professor’s attention, and Harry, like so many others, was not immune to the man’s charms. It had only taken one class for Harry to become just as enthralled as the rest of them, but he kept it a secret until sixth year rolled around.

During his years at Hogwarts, Harry Potter was known widely from three things: his Quidditch talent, his dueling skills, and his abysmal love life. It was his dueling skills that first earned Harry Professor Riddle’s attention.

As most things were at that age, it was entirely Malfoy’s fault. Really if the git hadn’t had the nerve to challenge Harry to a formal duel in front of the school after Harry and Ron’s latest prank— Ron has been in stitches after Harry had turned Malfoy’s hair Weasley ginger— none of this would have happened. Well, at least it wouldn’t have happened like that. With the eyes of the entire school on them, Harry could hardly refuse for the sake of his pride and without admitting defeat, and Harry would never give Malfoy the satisfaction. So, the next day, the two dueled in the public place of Malfoy’s choosing with a decent portion of the student population watching on eagerly.

Dueling had always been a passion of Harry’s. He had so many fond memories of learning to duel from Sirius before his death, and it was a skill he prided himself on. But, until this duel with Malfoy, Harry had kept the extent of his skills under wraps- at least to everyone other than his close friends. It hadn’t initially started out as a secret, but when Professor Riddle had revived the school Dueling Club the year before, Harry had stopped advertising his skills. Back then, the last thing he wanted was to get the man’s attention— Harry was still in complete denial about having a crush on the professor at the time— but that’s exactly what this duel did: get Professor Riddle’s undivided attention. 

After Malfoy shot out a nasty— probably illegal— hex before they even counted to three, Harry knew he couldn’t hide it any longer. In less than a minute, Harry had defeated Malfoy so soundly, so efficiently, that Professor Riddle personally gave Harry an invitation to the Dueling Club in front of the entire school, making it impossible to refuse him. With the man giving him such an enthralling stare, as if truly seeing Harry for the first time, Harry knew Professor Riddle would have eventually persuaded him to join even if he had had the courage to refuse. And so Harry joined the Dueling Club, and after he did, it was only a matter of time before he properly fell for Tom Riddle. 

Two long years spent in the Hogwarts Dueling Club had nearly been the death of Harry. While he had enjoyed being one of the top duelists in the school— and beating Malfoy in front of a live crowd every other week— Harry _hated_ the attention both from the student body but especially from Professor Riddle. Having his eyes on him, hearing those rare words of praise from the strict teacher, had been absolutely maddening. 

It only got worse in seventh year when the professor began offering Harry private lessons after learning from Professor McGonagall that Harry wanted to have a career as a dueler. Professor Riddle hadn’t been the only one that had offered Harry private dueling lessons; Professor Flitwick in particular— the co-host of the Dueling Club— had been ecstatic to hear one of his own students was following in his footsteps and was sure to offer his enthusiastic support and teachings. He had come so close to accepting Flitwick’s offer, but the moment Harry’s _favorite_ professor offered to do the same, it was a simple choice. In that moment, Harry truly knew he was fucked. 

Those lessons were some of the best and worst times of Harry’s Hogwarts career. Dueling with Professor Riddle was nothing short of exhilarating; because while the man was skilled in Transfiguration— he had to be if McGonagall allowed him to take up the post in the first place— it was obvious Riddle’s true passion was for spellwork and dueling, something Harry found out rather quickly under his tutelage. He also found out that Professor Riddle was an even stricter tutor than he was a teacher, and Harry pushed himself to his limits to please him. So Harry's skill grew exponentially under Riddle’s careful teaching- but so did his feelings for the man. 

By then, Harry’s crush for the man was a common Gryffindor house, if not a school, topic. He had tried to hide it, he really had, but with Harry’s miserable love life already being a hot topic amongst the castle— as he himself had a rapid following itching for his attention to his horror- it was bound to come out. It was only a matter of time before Professor Riddle would find out about his feelings, if he somehow didn’t know. Harry was thankful at least that no one except maybe Hermione and Luna actually knew how deep those feelings ran, but he had a bad feeling Riddle was catching on. After all, there were only so many times Harry could take a jinx to the face or miss spells completely because he was distracted by Riddle’s sharp jawline before even a mountain troll would have noticed. 

Mercifully, the man addressed Harry’s obvious feelings only once, but it was a moment that stuck in Harry’s mind for countless years afterwards— and, if Harry had to admit, it was also one of the reasons he even took the Defense Against the Dark Arts position seven years later. Because no matter how much Harry had tried to forget the man, it was impossible to forget a man like Tom Riddle. 

It was during one of their last lessons of last term that Riddle had finally said something, had finally acknowledged Harry’s absolutely pitiful attempts to not stare at the man like he was his whole world. Harry had come so close to beating his professor at a duel— a proper duel where Professor Riddle finally didn’t hold back his own abilities. Harry might have been able to do it too if he hadn’t gotten distracted by the man’s figure again and his powerful magic nearly palpable in the small classroom they always dueled in. Riddle pounced on Harry’s misstep, his lapse in attention, and sent him down to his knees, wand nowhere in sight. A tinge of bitterness ran through Harry at the loss, but it disappeared the moment his eyes focused on Professor Riddle. 

The wizard walked towards him, and Harry, collapsed and panting on the floor, stared up at him as if he was the most wondrous creature in the world. Riddle’s magic engulfed the room, and his eyes were alight with colors, looking nearly red in the dim classroom. The man’s usually pristine robes were in disarray, even his perfect dark hair messy after their encounter. But it was his lips curled into a smile, a true exhilarated smile, that stunned Harry the most. 

Harry stared up at him wide eyed and breathless as, for the first time, he saw a hungry expression pass over his professor’s face, one that made a shiver run down his spine and lit a fire in his belly. He looked like he wanted to devour Harry whole, and Harry would have gladly let him— he would have let this man do anything, would do anything he asked without a second thought. 

Harry didn’t register Riddle got so close until the man’s wand touched his chin, tilting Harry’s head up to meet his eyes. His next words stunned him to his core. 

“Harry James Potter,” he purred— and Harry let out a gasp at hearing his name come from those lips, “The day you defeat me, _truly_ defeat me, in a duel, is the day I will consider what you have to offer.” They kept their eyes locked for what felt like an eternity, Harry’s heartbeat pounding in his ear, until Riddle removed his wand swept out of the room, leaving Harry to stare up at the ceiling as his brain started to come back online. 

From that moment on, Harry’s new goal was to become powerful enough to do just that: defeat Tom Riddle. And, upon graduating Hogwarts, Harry had done just that— trained to become one of the most powerful duelists in the world. He spent years abroad with a variety of teachers honing his skills and training tirelessly to improve, and he spent countless sleepless nights studying new spells, even creating some of his own, to make his signature dueling quality his unpredictability. And it worked. 

Over the years Harry Potter made a name for himself in the dueling world and began to sweep the competition. He grew used to the fame and attention he garnered throughout his dueling career, but longed for a quiet, peaceful life out of the spotlight again, which became nearly impossible after he won the International Wizarding Dueling Championship. It was a clear victory, and Harry’s opponent had taken the loss with grace, grinning down at Harry as she passed the award to him during the celebration. 

But what really made the Championship even more historic was Professor Flitwick’s challenge at the Award Ceremony. As one of the previous world champions and a championship judge, Flitwick offered to duel Harry and give him a Dueling Mastership if he won— and high on his victory, Harry could hardly refuse. So not only did he win the championship, he won his Dueling Mastery in front of the Wizard World. 

It was only in the aftermath of his win after a few months of rest and hiding from the paparazzi— Rita Skeeter was merciless— that Professor McGonagall approached him about the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. It was common knowledge at school that the position was one of his dream jobs, but there was no opening for it by the time he graduated. So, after years of exhausting training, Harry gladly took the position for the year to take a proper break from his all-consuming dueling degree. And, if Harry also took that position to see his former professor again, well, no one needed to be the wiser.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year, my darlings. Here's to a new, prosperous year!


End file.
